Tell the World
by storyjam
Summary: Sort of AU: What happens when the world finds out about the Stargate.  Some SJ Shippiness.  T for paranoia reasons.


Disclaimer: I own nothing that has anything to do with this show. Also I don't own the Luxor, I've never even been there, I based that part on pictures online, so if it's wrong, sorry.

This is set sometime season 8 or 9. Canon until then. Jack's a General, Hammond is in Washington. Timeline might be a little out of order. The Go'auld are defeated, Jack's still at the SGC, Pete's history, No Cameron or Vala. (As to who's doing the interview, I hope fans of the show will know. I didn't want to use her name, so I'll let you figure out the joke.)

Summary: Sort of AU—the world finds out about the Stargate.

It happened suddenly. One day they were going out to dinner for team night, like they did so often, fighting the crowds for space near the bar, the next their names were on everyone's lips and they couldn't step outside the base without being mobbed. There was an interesting mix of anger and hero worship. Surprisingly, most people took it in stride. The rest…not so much. For the foursome stuck under the mountain for the foreseeable future, it was nothing short of horrifying. They had had all of a weeks' notice before he changed their lives forever, and they were still reeling from the shock. At least they had each other. That was all that was keeping them sane, now.

Fourteen days ago, General Hammond had returned to Stargate Command and called them into the briefing room with some disturbing news.

"I've been in meetings with the President, and he has some interesting news. You're not going to like it," he said, gravely.

With his typical smart-assedness, Jack O'neill replied, "Oh, what now? He replacing you with Kinsey? Cutting our cake budget? What?" He threw his pencil down onto the notepad in front of him, his frustration with nosy politicians clearly evident. It bought him a small smile from Carter, and he counted it a win.

"Worse. The President has decided that now that we have won our war with the Go'auld, he wants to go down in history as the President who told the world of the existence of extra-terrestrial life." Shocked expressions looked back at him as he paused to let that sink in, and then gave them the bad news. "He has called a press conference Saturday afternoon, in which he plans to reveal the existence of the Stargate. He's going to use the documentary that was filmed here recently, and…he wants to use SG-1 as shining examples of the SGC's courage and heroism. He wants you in Washington, today, and on air with him on Saturday. Colonel Carter, he wants you to explain how the Stargate works, as you are the world's foremost expert on it. Jack, he wants you and Dr. Jackson to talk about the original mission to Abydos."

"No," Jack interrupted before the General could go any further. "Not only no, but with all due respect, Sir, HELL NO! This is a bad idea, Sir. I still say that stupid movie was a bad idea, and the only reason I agreed to it was because I thought no one would ever see it, at least not before I was dead. I am _so_ not doing this."

General Hammond, having spent the last few weeks trying to convince the President not to go public yet, privately agreed with Jack, but the President had made it an order, and George Hammond did not disobey direct orders from his Commander-in-Chief. "This is not a request, Jack. We have been ordered to Washington on the next flight out, and you will appear at the press conference on Saturday, so you'd better get used to it."

Three hours later, General Hammond, Jack and SG-1 were on board a flight to Washington DC. Jack was sulking in the back, still convinced that this was a Very Bad Idea, akin to setting off a nuclear bomb in New York City. Sam and Daniel had their heads together, quietly discussing the potential fallout from the announcement, and how best to alleviate the fears of the general populace. Teal'c was, as usual, stoic and silent, but those that knew him best could discern signs of concern in his calm features.

General Hammond sat away from the others, trying to maintain a calm demeanor for the other's sakes, but inside he was flat-out terrified. The world as he knew it was about to change forever, and he couldn't help thinking of his granddaughters. What kind of world would they grow up in now? Would they be safe? He couldn't stop the storm that was about to descend, but he worked to find a way to present the truth that wouldn't frighten people; the right words to say, and which to avoid. The President probably had speeches all prepared for each of them, but Hammond had no problem going off book if it could prevent catastrophe. He'd been mentally preparing for this day ever since the President had ordered that video made. It had only been a matter of time until the attention-loving politician realized what an opportunity he had in the Stargate.

The following days flew by for the group, as the President's political team prepared them for the press conference. They went over and over what they would say and what they were forbidden to say. None of them liked these restrictions, and they decided in a rare moment of privacy, to say whatever they had to to bring this off in the best possible way, regardless of what they were forbidden to do.

As the day approached their nerves were wound tighter and tighter. They bickered constantly, even the usually calm Teal'c speaking sharply on several occasions, even to his friends. None of them were happy with the situation, and it fell to General Hammond to referee. His calm acceptance and encouragement lent a voice of reason to the proceedings that was sorely needed; especially with Jack purposely egging the others on, hoping to convince the President it would be better to keep his team out of it. In Jack's mind, his teammates deserved recognition, but not the notoriety that would come of being put on display like this. These were not people that enjoyed the spotlight, and the spotlight that would shine on them would be bigger and brighter than any ever seen. He amused himself by creating escape plans in his mind. He mentally dubbed them _Escape from Earth: Parts 1-8_. What really scared him was that they would probably need them.

The day finally came. They each dressed in their best suits or dress blues, and tried to prepare for the coming onslaught. They had been sequestered in the White House, itself, so only had to go downstairs when the time came. With nothing better to do until then, they all wound up gathering in Jack's room, whiling away the time in idle conversation, carefully not mentioning the reason they were all dressed up.

An aide came to fetch them 10 minutes before it was scheduled to begin. They waited outside the door of the room that had been set aside, the press room being too small for an event of this magnitude. There were representatives from nearly every news media outlet in the country and quite a few from others, as well. Then, they were finally ushered inside. An expectant hush filled the room as they took their seats at the long table beside the podium. Pens scribbled across notebooks and cameras clicked and flashed while they waited quietly for the President to make his appearance.

They stood as he entered the room, reclaiming their seats as he took his place before the crowd of reporters. It was as if they all knew something momentous was about to happen. No one said a word. Ordinarily, the questions would have been flying immediately, but not today. They waited as he shuffled some papers, and cleared his throat.

Around the world, people waited, watching him on TV or listening to radios, their governments having been apprised of what was going to happen, though not in time for a preemptive reveal. Many leaders of many countries were angered about not being consulted, but not so angry as to deny their people this moment. There would, however, be some furious discussions between them and the American President in the days and weeks to come.

Somewhere in California, two young Carters called their father into the room. "Daddy, Aunt Sam is on TV! Hurry!" Mark Carter ran into the room, saying, "What?" He saw her on the screen. "What the hell is Sam doing on television with the President?" He, too, sat down to watch.

President Hayes cleared his throat one final time, took a deep breath and began.

"My fellow Americans, and citizens of this world, I come before you today to reveal to you a truth too long hidden—a truth that will change this world in many ways, but not in the most important ways. It will not change our inherent humanity. It will not change our daily lives, except in all those little ways that a new truth inevitably will. We will still send our children to school in the morning, and discuss our day over dinner. We will still shop, and work, and play, and laugh. We will simply do so with a new understanding of the world—the universe around us.

I come before you today to tell you…that we are not alone."

The room erupted. Questions flew from everyone, an incoherent noise pressing against the ears, as the world shook. Everyone listening in that moment knew exactly what he'd meant, and that nothing would ever be the same.

He gave them time to react and to take in this shattering news, and then raised his hands for silence. After an endless moment, he got it; a silence deafening in its completeness.

Ever the showman, he held the pause just a second longer than necessary, milking it for all it was worth. "For several years now, we have known of the existence of life on other worlds. Using a device discovered in 1928, we have been sending explorers, scientists, and military personnel out across the galaxy searching for resources and technology to benefit mankind. We have found so much more." He continued this way, expounding on the benefits to humanity, for a little while, and then said, "I would like to introduce these folks up here with me. First, Lieutenant General George Hammond, who was in charge of our off-world operations for many years, before coming to Washington as one of my advisers. Next to him is Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. He led our premier team of first contact explorers, SG-1, before taking over command of the base this year. The rest of SG-1 is next to him. Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter, the world's foremost expert on the Stargate itself. Dr. Daniel Jackson, a talented archaeologist, linguist and diplomat, who has brokered many treaties with other peoples. And finally, I present to you, Teal'c, a Jaffa warrior, who joined Sg-1 in order to free his people from the enslavement of another race of aliens." He grinned, "Yes, I said _another_ race of aliens. Teal'c, here, is not human."

Again, a tumult arose from the crowd. Teal'c looked uncomfortable. He had known President Hayes was going to tell everyone he was not from earth, but he did not like that all eyes were immediately on him, nor did he like the fear in those eyes.

"Don't be afraid," Hayes said with a short laugh. "Teal'c is an honorable man. He's been on Earth for years now, and has yet to suck out a single brain! I think we're safe." This got an uncomfortable laugh from the crowd, but they still watched him warily.

"These people will be explaining in greater detail the history of the Stargate Program, and their own adventures among the stars. But before they do, I have one last revelation. A happy ending, of sorts.

For the past eight years, our world has been in conflict with the very aliens that enslaved Teal'c's people. They are known as the Go'auld. It's been a hard fight and we've lost a lot of good people, but I am pleased to report that, thanks in large part to these people up here with me, and the other SG teams, the Go'auld have been eliminated as a threat to this galaxy. The many people they have enslaved and abused have been set free. Tealc's people, the Jaffa, have even begun the difficult task of forming their own government and their own nation, as have many others. Teal'c has become a leader among the Free Jaffa Nation.

The men and women of Stargate Command have kept us safe all of these years, through extraordinary hardships, and it's time we heard from them." He turned and nodded to General Hammond. "General Hammond." Hayes stepped away from the podium, and then left the room, leaving Hammond to continue.

The stunned press let him go without a word, unprepared for such an abrupt departure. General Hammond stepped up to the stand, and began.

"I am Lieutenant General George Hammond, formerly of Stargate Command, more recently Head of the newly formed Homeworld Security. I would like to begin by saying that officers went out this morning to inform the families of the men and women we've lost over the past eight years of the truth of the circumstances of their deaths. They have our deepest apologies for the deception, but it was necessary for the safety of this world. Those men and women have the deepest respect and gratitude of their entire world, and especially of those of us who served beside them. They are sorely missed."

He spoke for several minutes about the bravery of the members of the SGC, and reiterated the elimination of the go'auld threat. He told them of ongoing scientific and diplomatic missions, and then gave the floor to Daniel.

Daniel gave a brief history of the Stargate, the go'auld, and various alien races that they had met, then handed the floor to Sam, who talked about the science behind the 'gate and some of the technologies they had gained from their explorations.

Several hours had already passed, but the world still watched in rapt attention. Not one word was missed. Even in countries where it was the middle of the night, children and adults alike were awake and watching this historic event.

Sam proudly introduced General O'Neill, "I am proud to introduce Brigadier General Jack O'Neill, former leader of SG-1, now the head of Stargate Command."

Jack stood up to speak. He looked grimly out over the crowd, seeing excitement, shock, awe and fear. The presentation so far had been upbeat and positive, relieving a lot of the fear. Jack's approved speech was much of the same, but he refused to let others put their words in his mouth.

The reporters had slowly been relaxing. Now they tensed again.

"The Stargate is not a toy. It's not a game. It is a responsibility. One we take very seriously. We've made mistakes. We take risks every time we step through the 'gate. We risk our lives, but we also risk the lives on the planets we visit. We've made mistakes. We've always tried to correct those mistakes, and for the most part we've succeeded, but unfortunately, not always. We are, after all, very young," he added with a wry smile. The other members of his former team smiled at the inside joke.

"We've learned a lot over the years, but we have a long way to go. We've been blessed with allies who have aided and protected us as we found our space legs. We owe them all a debt of gratitude. I'll have to introduce you to Thor one of these days. Great guy! Kinda short, grey, you'll like him. Couldn't make it today, he's off doing…whatever he does.

Anyway…" he paused, and looked back, "Teal'c anything you want to add?"

"There is not."

"That's what I thought. So, let's wrap this up. It's just about dinner time. The documentary the President mentioned will be made available shortly, and the President, along with General Hammond, will be available for a Q & A tomorrow."

The White House Press Secretary took the podium and discussed scheduling and other administrative things with the reporters, while Jack escorted his team from the room amid a flurry of questions.

They retreated back to Jack's room, after changing out of their dress attire. No one spoke for a while as they each absorbed what had just happened. Jack stretched out on the bed, with Sam perched on the edge beside him. Daniel sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, and Teal'c sat in an uncomfortably soft chair.

"So…..that was interesting," offered Daniel.

Jack sarcastically replied, "That's one word for it." He grabbed the TV remote and tuned in to hear what the reactions were in the world outside their little bubble. They heard the UFO enthusiasts saying 'I told you so', some frightened people, some calmly accepting, and some very angry people. Most, however seemed to be a little of each, not quite sure yet how to feel.

Neither did SG-1. They had followed their orders and done what needed to be done, and now they just had to wait for the fallout.

It was several days before they could return to Colorado. They boarded the Presidential helicopter for the trip, landing in a clearing near the mountain. Trucks were waiting to take them into the base, which was good, because the front entrance was mobbed with reporters and civilians. Somehow the location of the base had leaked and now all eyes were on Cheyenne Mountain. The team made it inside, relieved to be home. Once inside the comfortably utilitarian complex, they were told that going to their homes was impossible for now. Both Sam and Daniel's homes had been broken into, and now all three homes were under police surveillance to protect them from the mobs. Everyone wanted to meet the heroes of the SGC, as the press had taken to calling them.

Interview requests were piling up on Jack's desk, and he started avoiding his office so he wouldn't have to think about them. Walter filtered out the worst of it, but that still left a considerable stack. Instead, he spent his time pestering Sam in her lab, where she was happily working on her doohickeys, and pestering Daniel in his office, where he was tackling a challenging translation. Sparring with Teal'c, though, was his favorite way of passing the time. How else could he work off the annoyance of their forced confinement? They couldn't even go off-world, because the President wanted them to be available if needed. Jack was slowly going insane. He had no intention of agreeing to any interviews, but the requests kept coming in. General Hammond had already done several, his calm and confident presence easing the transition for the nervous population.

Teal'c found Jack in his office, for once, going through the stacks that threatened to topple over, throwing most away, answering others with politely worded refusals.

"May I be of assistance, O'Neill?"

Surprised, Jack replied, "Are you that bored? We haven't been down here that long, have we?"

"We have," Teal'c answered, definitively.

Gesturing, Jack said, "Pull up a chair, buddy. If you recognize the name, put it aside, if not, toss it."

Teal'c nodded, and they worked in silence for several minutes.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c burst out suddenly.

"Huh?"

He handed Jack a piece of paper that looked like all the others. He read it, and looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?"

Teal'c's animated expression drew a laugh from Jack. Obviously he wanted to meet her. Jack had introduced Teal'c to her show years ago, and he'd been a devoted fan ever since. Why he liked all that mushy stuff, Jack would never understand, but like it he did.

"You actually want to do this one, huh? Well, I'll think about it, see what the others have to say."

A rare smile brightened Teal'c's face, and Jack decided in that moment, SG-1 was going to do it. They were going on her show. It would likely be the only interview the team did, but if it made T' this happy, it would be worth the embarrassment. He shoved the rest of the pile off on Walter, and went to talk to the other members of his team. It didn't take long to convince them, surprisingly. If it made Teal'c happy, they would do it.

Jack set up the interview for two weeks later. It would be filmed live, right here in the mountain, a special two-hour event. Preparations moved quickly, and the day arrived. They set up in the briefing room, with a view of the 'gate behind them. It was safer than setting up in the 'gate room itself, but still gave the wow-factor. This would be the first real visual the world got of the Stargate, other than the documentary footage.

When she arrived, Teal'c was the first to greet her. They chatted, each equally excited by the meeting, as they made their way down through multiple checkpoints. Sam and Daniel met them at the bottom and they took a few minutes to discuss the logistics. Jack hurried up to them a few minutes later, then, everything being ready, they began.

Her introduction went on for a while as she talked about the reveal of the Stargate to the world, and the role SG-1 had played in the program over the years. Then, she introduced each of them, and the interview began.

At first, the questions were pretty standard, asking about each of their lives and what they did here under Cheyenne Mountain. What their favorite memories were, how they felt about the big reveal, their scariest missions, etc. She asked about injuries in the line of duty, and was shocked when they told her how many times they had each died. Teal'c was unusually talkative, unlike Jack who kept his answers succinct, and few.

The interviewer noticed and directed the next question to him. "So, General O'Neill, what plans do you have for the future of this base?" she asked.

He paused before answering, taking a quick look at his teammates. "That's an interesting question." The others glanced at him, surprised by the tone of his voice. "As of this morning, right before we started this interview, actually, _I_ don't have any plans for the future of this base. _I_ will no longer be in charge of this base."

SG-1 was shocked. Sam, beside him, asked, "Sir, what do you mean?" Daniel cut in, "Jack, what's going on?"

"I've decided to retire, and it's effective as of this morning."

His team stared in horrified shock. They couldn't believe it. He hadn't even talked to them!

A chorus of "Why?" met his ears. In their surprise they all forgot about the live broadcast, and simply reacted. He hadn't expected it to go through so soon, and was unprepared for this conversation.

"It's time. I'm not the right person for the job, now. I never wanted to live in a fish bowl, and the commander of the SGC is going to be watched, constantly. Don't worry. Hammond and I found a great guy to take over. He'll take good care of our teams and he'll be good with the press. I wouldn't leave you without proper supervision," he joked.

Daniel, of course, was the first to speak. "What are you going to do, now?"

"Fish, mostly. I might get a dog. I like dogs." He carefully didn't look at Carter, suddenly nervous about how she'd react. This was a game changer. He wouldn't be her CO any more. She sat beside him, stunned into silence as she worked through all of the repercussions, totally unaware that anyone else was in the room.

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Sam cut him off, speaking almost to herself, "You retired."

"Yeah," he replied quietly.

"You're not my commanding officer anymore."

"Nope"

"That changes everything."

"Thought of that."

She looked at him. He looked at her. They smiled, slowly.

Daniel cleared his throat, pulling their attention back to the fact that they were not alone. Jack grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her up. "We'll be right back," he said to the room in general, and, hand-in-hand, he led her from the room and headed quickly down the hall. The interviewer looked at Daniel and Teal'c with a small laugh, and said, "Any idea what that was about?"

They shared a glance and in unison, innocently said, "No."

Meanwhile, Jack and Sam had made it all the way to the VIP quarters without being stopped and went inside. Jack locked the door and turned to the smiling blond standing by the bed.

"You're not my CO anymore," she repeated.

"That's right," he said, slowly advancing towards her. "As of one hour and fifteen minutes ago, I am not in your chain of command. Does this meet with your approval?"

She pretended to consider this, and teasingly said, "Well, I'll miss you on the base, but…I'm sure you'll find some way of compensating me for my pain and suffering." By now she was right in front of him, so close he could feel her breath on his skin, and he didn't wait another moment to lean in and kiss her.

It was their first real kiss. So many years of waiting and wondering had all come down to this. Her knees went weak as he deepened the kiss, and his arms around her were all that held her up. Then, he pulled back and carefully stepped away.

"Sam, are you absolutely sure about this? Just because I retired and it's not against regs anymore, doesn't mean there won't be rumors, and snide remarks. _ We'll_ know we waited, but other people could assume the worst. I don't want you to get caught in the middle, and I don't want to do anything to hurt your career." He took her face in his hands and continued, "You are so amazing, and you're rising so fast—I don't want to get in your way, I won't be the reason that you don't get everything you deserve."

"First," she replied," I've never been so sure of anything in my life. Second, I can handle rumors and snide remarks. The people who matter already know the truth, and the rest can just look at my service record to find it.

I…I'm in love with you," she whispered. "J-Jack," she stumbled over his name. It was possibly the first time he'd ever heard her say it, and it made him smile.

"Jack, I want to be with you. I'll even be Ok with the dog! Just please kiss me again."

He willingly complied, pulling her back into his arms and tasting her lips again. He stopped only long enough to whisper, "I love you," before returning to paradise. They stayed where they were for a little while, but stopped themselves before going any farther.

"Have dinner with me tonight?" he asked into her hair as he held her close for a few more precious seconds. She nodded and they stepped apart. They straightened their clothes and hair, then headed back to the briefing room before enough time had passed to be suspicious. They took their seats again, distracted, but much happier than they had been when they left. The interviewer wanted to ask, but was glared down by Jack, so subsided.

The interview had turned into more of a conversation between the friends. They laughed and bickered. The interviewer barely got a word in edgewise, having completely lost control of the situation, but she really didn't mind. It was fascinating to listen to four such different people discussing the same events from different viewpoints. She did notice a lot of sidelong glances between O'Neill and Carter, and knowing grins from Daniel, though he tried valiantly to smother them. Her hands would brush his then be yanked away with a blush and a smile. His foot would bump hers and he'd turn to see her reaction.

About a half-hour before the interview was to end, klaxons rang out, and a voice came over the speakers, saying, "Unscheduled incoming wormhole. General O'Neill to the control room."

SG-1 jumped to their feet in unison and rushed from the room. The cameras followed. At the door of the control room, guards stopped the interviewer and the cameraman, though they continued filming what little could be seen and heard. Inside the room, Walter said, "It's Sg-12's IDC, Sir. They're coming in hot."

"Send in the Marines and close the blast doors. Open the Iris," ordered O'Neill.

Armed guards entered the 'gate room as the blast doors closed. The iris opened, and for a moment nothing happened. A staff blast came through the open wormhole, making everyone jump. Several more followed, and the SG team tumbled through, more blasts coming through with them.

"Close the iris!" shouted O'Neill.

The iris closed, cutting off any further shots. Her ordered medics to the 'gate room, then went down, himself. Carter sat at an empty station and started diagnostics to determine if the 'gate had been damaged in any way.

When the medical team got to the 'gate room, they found that one soldier had taken a shot to the leg, but it was superficial and he'd be alright, and another had been carried through, unconscious after taking a hit to his head. They were rushed straight to the infirmary for treatment.

O'Neill spoke to the teams CO, Colonel James. "What happened, Colonel?"

"Jaffa, Sir. I'm not sure which Go'auld they were connected with, I've never seen that glyph, but they seemed pretty mad. I don't think they liked us."

"So, no Christmas card from them, huh?"

"No, Sir," Colonel James replied, with a grin.

"What happened to Raleigh," O'Neill asked, referring to the unconscious teammate.

"Go'auld grenade. It sent us all flying, but it sent him head-first into a tree. He's lucky it didn't break his neck. We didn't have time to immobilize him. We had to get to the 'gate, fast. There were dozens of fully armed Jaffa headed right for us."

"You did the right thing. Go get cleaned up. We'll meet in the briefing room in an hour."

The colonel nodded and headed out, handing his weapon to a waiting Sergeant. A crew was already starting repairs to the 'gate room, so Jack headed back to the control room.

Carter looked up. "The stargate looks fine, Sir. No damage."

"Good. I'm headed down to the infirmary. Keep an eye on things here."

"Yes. Sir," she replied, and turned back to her diagnostic.

The men in the infirmary were already well on their way to recovery. Jack left, only to bump into a camera waiting outside the door. After assuring the interviewer that the men would be fine, along with their family members anxiously watching the live feed, Jack apologized for the disruption, and grabbed a passing member of SG-6, coercing her into talking with the interviewer while he took care of base business.

The interviewer called out, "I thought the go'auld threat was over, General. Why are your teams still being attacked?"

"The threat to Earth is over. There are no go'auld left with the power to go after us. As I've said before, we've made a few enemies out there. The go'auld set themselves up as gods-some people react badly to their god being killed. The Free Jaffa try to find these groups and recruit them, but they can't always be convinced. The galaxy is still a dangerous place. Sometimes we get hurt. But if we do our jobs right-and we do—Earth will continue to be safe.

Now, I believe our time is up for this interview, and I'm late for a debriefing, so if you'll excuse me..?" He walked away, leaving the interviewer to wrap up, and be escorted from the base.

The teams' first and only interview was a hit. People around the world watched. They were fascinated by these people; amused by their antics, saddened that General O'Neill was retiring, intrigued by what went on when he and Carter left the room, and shocked to see SG-12's dramatic arrival, and injuries. This and the documentary that was made public, showed them what really happened under Cheyenne Mountain, making it all the more real, somehow. The team became instant celebrities, but there was a strong sense of respect behind it. They were eventually able to return to their semi-normal lives, rarely bothered for autographs and such.

Once the new base commander took over and was brought up to speed, Jack immediately left for a fishing trip to his cabin—taking Sam with him. They spent two weeks there, getting to know each other in this brand new way. They went slowly, but it wasn't long before they were both certain that they wanted to be together.

Jack disappeared one day while Sam was still asleep. As soon as he walked in the door and saw her standing there, he dropped to one knee, held out an open ring box and proposed. Without hesitation, Sam said yes, and he lifted her off her feet and swung her around, laughing. They celebrated with a long detour to the bedroom.

Hours later, he rose up on one elbow, looking down at her. "How do you feel about a Vegas wedding? We can be there in a couple of hours, be married by dinner, and honeymooning by dessert! What do you say?"

"I say, what are we waiting for!" She jumped out of bed and started to get dressed. He followed, and told her to start packing. Stepping outside, he made a few calls, and grinning, went back inside.

Once they were packed, they got in his truck and headed for the airport to catch a flight to Las Vegas. He had booked them first class tickets for the relatively short flight, wanting to spoil his bride-to-be on what was turning out to be their wedding day. She half-heartedly protested the expense, but secretly enjoyed that he wanted to pamper her. Despite some turbulence, the flight went smoothly, and they landed in Vegas mere hours after deciding to go.

There was a limo waiting outside the airport, the driver holding up a sign with O'NEILL printed on it. Jack steered her towards it, and they climbed inside. A bucket of ice waited inside, with a bottle of very nice champagne chilling in it. Sam couldn't believe he was being so romantic.

"When did you plan all this!" she asked, as he handed her a glass of champagne.

"I have my ways," he replied, mysteriously. "Just sit back and enjoy the day. Everything is taken care of."

They stopped first at a bridal dress shop. He pulled her inside, over her laughing protests, where they had several gowns in her size ready for her to choose between. She tried a few on, before finding the perfect gown. It was simple and strapless and she knew Jack would love it. Jack had been kept out of the room, so he paid without seeing the dress, and they got back into the limo. Their next stop was a salon. He left her there to be pampered and primped (not that he thought she needed it, but he needed time to take care of a few things), while he went to secure a tux and rings.

The limo driver picked her up, but Jack wasn't inside. She asked the driver, who told her Jack would meet her at their next destination. She sipped champagne as they drove on.

They stopped for the last time, and the driver opened her door. She stepped out and laughed out loud. They were standing in front of the Luxor Hotel, the one shaped like a pyramid. Jack was standing in front, dressed in his tux. He looked mouthwateringly good. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him, laughing. He swung her around, feeling that this was one of the happiest moments of his life. The sun shone down as they embraced, and even strangers passing by saw the joy on their faces and couldn't help smiling, themselves.

"This is perfect, Jack! I love it!" she enthused. "This is where we're getting married!"

"It seemed appropriate," he answered, smiling. He breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't had her heart set on something else. He couldn't think of a better place for their wedding without leaving Earth, and he really wanted to marry her right here on Earth. They had drawn quite a crowd by the time they let go, so he led her into the casino and straight to the desk. The concierge recognized them immediately and grabbed the manager on duty. Jack had called ahead to tell them what he wanted, and they fell all over themselves to tell him that everything was ready. Sam was escorted to a room to change into her dress, and Jack went into the chapel to check the arrangements and to await his bride.

He was standing at the altar when she walked in, followed by what looked like half the staff of the hotel and most of the guests. Rumors of their presence in the hotel had spread like wildfire, and everyone wanted to be able to say that they were there to see General Jack O'Neill marry Colonel Samantha Carter. This was THE event of the year, second only to THE Announcement itself.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the crowd, and she shrugged, grinning. She stepped forward into the light, and Jack just stopped. He stopped breathing, stopped moving, stopped thinking. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. And it was for him. She was looking at him! Not some other guy, HIM!

He swallowed hard, as she walked slowly up the aisle toward him, the crowd quietly filling in seats behind her as she moved forward, her eyes glued to Jack, a huge smile on her face. She reached him, finally, and he took her hands in his. He raised them one at a time, to his lips, in awe of this stunning woman standing in front of him. He needed a second to collect himself.

Sam burst out laughing as their officiate came in. He was dressed like a go'auld, over-the-top Egyptian theme, gold everywhere, the whole shebang. Jack grinned; more pleased by this, than any of his other arrangements.

"You like?"

"I_ love_," she gasped, tears of laughter rolling down her face. "It's perfect!" She pulled him into an embrace, laughing into his shoulder. "I love you."

She managed to collect herself, and he stepped back, carefully wiping the tears from her face. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready."

They turned to the smiling officiate, and a short time later they were husband and wife. The crowd cheered as they sealed their vows with a scorching kiss, and ran from the room to the elevators. Jack had one more surprise in store. He led her to the Honeymoon suite, which he'd managed to book for two nights. They opened the door to the palatial suite and stopped to admire for a few seconds. Then they turned to each other, closed the door, and didn't leave the room for two full days.

They flew back to the cabin for another week alone, and then returned to Colorado. They went straight to Jack's—now their—house. Waiting in the living room were Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie, and General Hammond. The couple set their bags down in the entryway, and went into the room.

"What are you all doing here," asked Jack, suspiciously.

Daniel leaped to his feet. "What are we doing here? You two run off and get _married_ without telling any of us, and you ask what we're doing here?" he shouted.

"Yeah, Sam, how could you do that?" whined Cassie, "I wanted to be your maid of honor."

Jack was getting mad, now. "Hey! This is supposed to be a good thing. Sam and I have wanted this for a long time, and regardless of how it happened, you will be happy for us! We deserve this. Now either congratulate us or get out of our house."

The others had the good sense to look abashed, and General Hammond took the lead, saying, "We _are_ happy for you. I've known for years that there was more between you two than there should be, and I'm happy to see it realized—now that you're retired, of course," he joked.

Cassie smiled. "Yeah, guys, congratulations! I'm so glad you finally get to be together! It's so romantic! Even if you were in such a rush I couldn't be there," she added.

"Why were you in such a hurry, anyway?" asked Daniel.

Jack answered, "She's called off two weddings already, I didn't want to give her a chance to change her mind!"

Sam scowled at him, but everyone else laughed, and any tension left was gone. Sam wanted to know how they found out about the wedding, and Teal'c handed them a stack of newspapers with their picture on the cover in a wedding dress and tux. They weren't happy about the invasion of privacy, but at least the pictures were flattering, and since they hadn't gotten their pictures from the hotel photographer yet, they were happy to have these.

The strange little family laughed and celebrated together for a while. Sam and Jack had to tell them all the details of the wedding. They oohed and aahed over Jack's romantic gestures, making Jack scowl in embarrassment. Finally, they all headed back to their own homes, and the happy couple was left to continue celebrating in their own way.

The wedding seemed to put an end to any arguments against the Stargate Program. The sheer romance of the story gave it all a positive spin, and the last holdouts gave in. A matter of months after The Announcement was all it took for the world to accept their new place in the universe. The President enjoyed a huge boost in popularity before his term ended. General Hammond retired a few months later and eventually wrote his memoirs, _almost_ completely uncensored. The SGC still had a few secrets, after all. Sam and Jack moved into Jack's house, and were thrilled two months later to learn that Sam was pregnant. When they eventually discovered that it was twins they were even more excited. Jack happily became a house husband, doting on his new family, and was glad that Sam spent far more time at home than she ever used to. She had decided to spend most of her time in her lab, as it was safer than going off-world, and she had a family to consider now. Daniel eventually travelled to Atlantis, which made him very happy, and Teal'c went back to lead his people. They all met up whenever possible, and it always felt like coming home.

Everything changed after The Announcement. And nothing changed after The Announcement. The world kept turning, and lives continued being lived.

But, for this small handful of people, nothing would ever be the same.

THE END


End file.
